Tag Archives: Nexus S

Is Samsung to have its tiara and sash taken away? Will Google choose another manufacturer to make the next Nexus handsetand dethrone the reigning queen? And, *gasp* could it be an underdog victory for LG, the manufacturer that has had its fits and starts with Android smartphones?

If chosen, the lagging manufacturer would get early access to the next gen version of Android which means great buzz, great press and great sales. Samsung has been a perfect example of this success model by being the vendor bringing us the two latest Nexus devices: the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus. With experience working with Google and new, major Android OS version upgrades, there are a fair number positives in the incumbent’s favor. So if they have ushered in a Nexus for Gingerbread and now Ice Cream Sandwich, will they also be cobranded with Jellybean?

And how will LG Mobile win the bid when Samsung sold an impressive 300 million cell phones last year and is continually vying for top-smartphone brand ranking in the US? Honestly, the more likely competition will come from Google internally and its latest acquisition-in-the-works: Motorola Mobility. The tech conglomerate has made reassurances that it would not play favorites with Motorola, but… really? How would that make business sense?

If Google does opt to dole out Nexus rights to an external manufacturer, the status will not be quite so dramatic as Motorolawould still get the perk of early iteration to next gen Android OS. And, by all accounts the company’s engineering and software teams will likely work closely post-acquisition which put Motorola in a position to help shape the Android platform. There is the question of how will peripheral devices, accessory appeal and that brand association affect these contenders and what will they bring to the table in terms of docking stations and power options to garner more attention and press?

What LG does have in its favor (despite notorious custom Android skins that have not won over customers) is their marked improvements from past years to this year’s MWC showing which introduced the optimistically improved LG Optimus 4X. This shows ambition and a willingness to put in the work. A little bit of gumption, elbow grease, and a good ole fashioned Hail Mary Pass maybe do the trick for LG.

Google Android’s numerous handset manufacturers have made the mobile OS platform incredibly accessible to consumers across the world. The one downside is that each of these vendors goes through its own process to adopt the latest version upgrades. Some handsets are not capable of those major upgrades, like Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Luckily for Sprint Nexus S 4G owners, the wait should not be much longer. An internal testing ROM was seen on Google’s servers that will update the Nexus S 4G to Android v4.0.4 build IMM26. Of course that file was pulled once it was seen, but the more curious of you can get a mirrored copy at xda-developers. But, with the removal from Google servers, it is likely better to wait for the official release.

The popularity of this device has customers of Verizon wishing it was available as an unlocked handset that could be used with their existing contracts. As LTE 4G becomes more mainstream across North America, the availability of smartphones capable of taking advantage of these speeds will increase. Carriers have been rushing to pair up with manufacturers to augment their product lines. The question of whether customers will be willing to pay the premium cost of these data plans.

The good news is that there is no requirement to utilize the 4G LTE capabilities until the costs are more accessible. In the interim, these customers have the good fortune of not having to purchase a new handset to get the Ice Cream Sandwich update which leaves more funds to invest in the must-have and secretly-covet accessories to make the most of your pocket PC.

As this report indicates, the version had release keys which denote a fast-approaching launch date. So far, the next gen Android platform has had great reviews, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for your Nexus S 4G update!

The changing of the guard from one year to the next brings inevitable changes. This is especially true with mobile technology which is arguably one of the most competitive and innovative segments of the tech industry as traditional feature phones and carriers are challenged with smartphone technologies and apps and unlocked phones.

So even if you keep half an ear to the latest happenings in this niche of the world market, there is a plethora of information, rumors, and announcements to keep track of. To help make the focus more manageable, here are a few noteworthy notices to kick off your 2012 mobile tech watch.

First, the continuing saga of the king of feature phones as it endeavors to make its mark in a smartphone world: Nokia. The mobile OS this manufacturer chose for its foray into smartphones is Symbian. Clearly this pairing didn’t fare well in the global marketplace. As a farewell gesture that is bound to drive the final nail in the coffin of Symbian, Nokia has opted to rebrand its latest smartphone as Nokia Belle. No Symbian to be mentioned in association again it seems. Perhaps the best rebranding for Nokia would be launching a new tablet featuring its next mobile OS choice.

Not to be left out, Google Android is bound to make this list. And, it is no surprise that it is causing waves with its much-buzzed-about OS upgrade: Ice Cream Sandwich. Global rollouts of this Android 4.0 update were supposed to have begun for Nexus S customers a few days ago, but according to the Google Community Manager, Paul Wilcox, announced that they are pausing updates to better monitor feedback for a while (this sounds oddly familiar to CarrierIQ scandal which highlighted the benefits of customers choosing unlocked devices).

On a more positive note for Google, they are now globally activating approximately 700,000 Android devices daily. The company’s willingness to work with many manufacturers (creating more opportunities for customers to choose carrier neutral unlocked phones), is significantly contributing to their continued growth around the world.

To follow on the heels of Google’s customer driven philosophy, carriers are having to fight the loss of their exclusivity on smartphones, tablets and accessories by dropping their prices. Recent reports show that 4G LTE pricing may drop by as 60% by 2016 as the additional speeds aren’t worth the cost for heavy users and the carrier specific devices that enable 4G are markedly more expensive than their 3G counterparts as well.